Policies> Packing and Shiping Rodents to Other Facilities
1 PURPOSE
The purpose of this policy is to state the guidelines for the packing and shipping of rodents to other institutions.
2 SCOPE
This policy applies to all animal users.
3 DEFINITIONS
PI – Principal Investigator
UF – University of Florida
4 POLICY
4.1 Investigators who wish to ship rodents to investigators at other institutions must submit a completed FMACS055 Animal Shipping Record, available on the myACS website, to the ACS Business Office at least 3 weeks prior to the ship date.
4.1.1 FMACS055 Animal Shipping Record must identify the location of the cages to be examined, the number of rodents to be shipped, cage card number, strain designation of the animals, and the animal identification number(s), if applicable.
4.1.2 All shipments will be conducted by ACS.
4.1.3 Payment for the costs of packing the animals, administrative fees and courier fees will be decided by the UF PI and the receiving institutions PI. Payment arrangements will be made before the animals are shipped
4.2 Once the completed FMACS055 Animal Shipping Record is received by the ACS Business Office, an ACS Shipping Coordinator will prepare FMACS054 Exporting Animal Record, which contains the animals’ health information, and forward the form to the receiving institution for veterinary review and approval.
Note: Rodents cannot be shipped without notification and veterinary approval from the destination, a valid health certificate and appropriate forms provided by ACS.
4.2.1 At least one week prior to shipment, all cages containing rodents to be shipped must have a blue Relocation Request card in the cage card holder to facilitate identification of the cages. These cards can be found in the animal room or in slotted holders located in the ACS main hallways.
4.3 If the animals to be shipped are not properly labeled, it is the responsibility of the investigative group to be present with the ACS Shipping Coordinator while the animals are being packed in the appropriate shipping crates.
4.3.1 ACS strongly recommends that rodents not be shipped if the ambient temperature in Gainesville or the destination is expected to exceed 85°F or go below 45°F, as these temperature extremes may result in animal loss.
4.3.2 Animals are packed only on the day that they are scheduled to be shipped out, using clean, compartmentalized crates.
4.3.2.1 The crates are packed by the ACS Shipping Coordinator or husbandry technician using a HEPA filtered laminar flow workstation or Biological Safety Cabinet. Refer to ACS-ALL-BR-005 Rodent Transfer from Semirigid Isolators to Other Facilities for complete instructions on correct packaging of shipping crates.
4.3.2.2 ACS staff will pack the animals in the appropriate shipping crates such that no more than 25 adult mice are shipped per crate. Rats are to be packed such that there are no more than 6 adult rats per crate.
4.3.2.3 It is recommended that litters less than 2 weeks of age not be shipped; however, if necessary, they should be loaded with their dam into a single compartment.
4.3.2.3.1 Shipment of very young litters may result in loss of all or part of the litter.
4.3.2.3.2 Pregnant mice should not be shipped later than the 14th day of pregnancy to prevent loss of the litter.
4.3.2.4 Animals are packed according to their current housing arrangements to avoid fighting in transit. Cages cannot be combined any sooner than one week prior to shipment.
4.3.2.5 At the time the animals are packed into the shipping crate, they are examined to be sure they are healthy and fit for travel. If there are any signs that the animal(s) are not healthy and fit for travel by ACS staff, a member of the ACS Veterinary Care staff will be consulted. The Veterinary Care staff member will decide if the animal(s) can be treated and shipped or if it needs to be replaced by another healthier animal(s).
4.3.2.6 Gel packs, which have been cut to open for easy access by the animals before placement, are provided by ACS staff. Food items such as potatoes or apples are not acceptable substitutes for gel packs.
4.3.2.7 A 48 hour supply of water in the form of gel packs, and nutrients is provided for each compartment of animals in each crate.
4.3.2.8 All crates are then sealed with packing tape and individually labeled with the address of the destination facility. Shipping labels, waybills and any other paperwork is provided by the ACS Shipping Coordinator.
4.4 Outgoing domestic shipments should be planned for Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday to avoid problems with weekend shipments.
4.5 International shipments must be picked up no later in the week than Tuesdays.
4.5.1 These shipments must be cleared by customs offices both of the United States and the country of destination.
4.5.2 Using the International Invoice and International Health Certificate provided by the ACS Shipping Coordinator, the ACS Facility Veterinarian checks the animals, signs the appropriate paperwork, and returns it to the Shipping Coordinator, who forwards the paperwork to the courier for USDA approval.
4.5.3 After receipt of approval from the USDA and the courier, international shipments are packed and labeled the same as domestic shipments.
4.6 Shipping charges:
4.6.1 Standard exporting fees include: health reports, emails and phone correspondence, feed and gel packs, ACS technician time billed in 15 minute increments for packing the animals, crate fees and costs of commercial courier services.
4.6.1.1 The fee schedule can be found online at the myACS website.
4.7 Questions regarding the shipment of rodents may be directed to the ACS Veterinary Care Staff.
